Lacing.



l PTENTED APR. 23, 1907. H. H. CUMMINGS.

L A GIN G.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 19. 190e.

Invenor A. Cummin HENRY H. CUhilvilNGS, OF

garante cigarros..

Nei/viren misst-ennemies;

LAGiNG no. eeacve.

Specification ci' Letters Patent.'

Patented. April 33, 1907.

Application filed -Tammry 19, 1906, Serial No. 296.812.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY H. CUMMrNcs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of ltiiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Lacings,I of which the iollowing description, in connection With the accompanying drawings, 'is a specii'ication, like letters on the drawings representing like partslviy invention relates to lacings and par-- ticularly to means for improving the stiilcning of lacing ends.

in stiiiening the ends of lacings it has been a frequent custom to use a metal stidfening member about which the fabric of the lacing is rolled or Wrapped, so that the resultant stiifened end comprises a metal -stiliening member within and covered by the textile material of the lacing itself. Lacings having covered stifieners oi this character, even where a portion of the extreme end of the lacing has been folded within the stiifening member with a view to preventing the tip oi the lacing from unraveling, nevertheless through `Wear tend to fray and present an unsightly appearance. Furthermore, the fabric covering of 'the tip does not so well assist in iinding t 1e eyelets When the lacing is being laced, as does a metal or other hard tip or covering. v My invention contemplates, among other objects, the provision oi a lacing end having an interior stil'ening member and presenting all the advantages of durability, construction and appearance which is oiiered byv lacings of this type, While at the same time provided with a tip of metal or other hard, dense material, so that the disadvantages oi an end tipped With textile fabric are prac-- tically obviated.` My invention will be best understood by ieierence to the following s eci'lication, 'when taken. in connectionwith t e accompanying illustration ci one specific embodiment there of, While its scope Will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

. in the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a lacing, orrather a double undivided lacing, to svhichthe stidening memberv has been attachedglig. 2 shows the same after being formed into a generally cylin'drical sha e and before severance; Fig. 3 is a lsection on tl'ie line 532-3, in Fig. 2, at the line of severance;

Fig. lbis a View, partially in section, showing the/completed end with a metal ti applied,

tips.

Referring to the drawings and to the par ticularembodiment of the invention therein selected for illust-ration, the lacing'inaterial a may be oi any suitable or desirable formation or structure, usually? however, ci tubular Woven or braided fabric which maybe severed into required lengths. The stiiening member b is here shown as in the form of a ilat sheet metal blank, provided at its edges with a plurality of serrations or locking projections b. A

in the manufacture oi' the stiil'ened tip the lacing is held ilat and. the stitlene'd member laid thereon to engaged therewith, with the serrations or locking projections securely embedded in the fabric thereof, as indicated in Fig. l of the drawings. With the edges oi" the lacing thus securely loc red or embedded upon the serrated edges ol the blank, 4the edges ci the stii'l'ening and lacing together are then turned. over or rolled into a generally cylindrical formation, as shoivn in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby closing the portion o of the lacing containing the stiliener and turning giving to the lacing end the appearance of a smooth fabric-covered stilened cylinder in which the stiiening member is entirely concealed. The lacing islthen severed along a median line of sever-ence 2%3 (Fig. 2), obtainng thereby an intcriorly stiiiened end 'of the character ydescribed for cach of the severed lengths.

For obvious reasons ci simplicity and cheapness in manufacture, however, l prefer in practice to form the` blanks of double lengths, as shown. Wl hen used as described, severance on the line 3-3 leaves the severed lacing with both ends stii'icned, the other end stifi'ened in a like manner, and it also leaves an unsevered lacing length, the other end of which remains to be stiilened in a similar fashion. It will be readil understood that this o eration which finis es the remaining end o one lacing .also com letes the leading end of the next lacing. T 1e severed end et' the lacing then presents an appearance generally resembling that shown 1n Fig. 3 and is ready for the 'linal operation of receiving its of the severed lacing having been previously and Figsu, 6, 7, 8, and 9, modifie forms of A* the serrated or locking points b inward and hard protecting tip. Such tip maybe of any suitable formation, material or construction and applied in any desired way. For example, in Fig. 4 l have shown the end of the.

neck portion the squeezing or compres-. l

sion of the material of the stifl'ener acting to expand the saine at the extreme end of the lacing into the hollow interior of the tip to partially or substantially lill the latter.

A tip of the general character described e'll'ectually prevents the severed ends of the fabric material from ui'iiaveling or fraying and provides therefore a tip for the lacing end which has a durability as great the lacing itself. Furthermore, the metal of the tip being `clenched or contracted about the iiiterior metal formation. of the stiilener, any tendency to loosen its hold upon the lacing end is avoided.. interior stii'lener act lirinly to hold. the tip in place, but the stifleuer more efiectually protected, by the presence of the tip, against distortion or collapse by being stepped on, or through other strains, and the solidity and durability of the stiflened end is thereby effcctually ii'icreased.

lt will be observed that the protection which the tip ailords the fabric atthe end of the lacing makes it unnecessary to fold into and within the stii'lening member an extended end, as has been usual in this'class of devices, such end being usually doubled over for the entire length of the stiflening blank. By the use of my invention, therefore, this superfluous material is saved, which in the aggregate manufacture of these lacings results in an economyof considerable extent. The absence of the inner core which is formed by this inturned lacing end, permits the oomplctcd lacing end to be rolled up into smallei diameter than usual, which, when taken particularly in connection with the suitably shaped tip applied to the end thereof, provides a lacing of more pleasing appearance. '.lhe appearance of the lacingr may also J,be improved, if desired, and its end permitted to receive a tip of smaller 'dia-meten by giving the saine a tapered formation as shown in Fie. e,

lt may sometimes be desirable to give the tip a more decided point than shown in Fig. 4t, and in Fig. 5 l have shown a tip of substantially the same general construction, but

having a bulle t-shaped formation, making it more effective in finding an'eyelet. If desired, the ti i may be primarily formed of a sheet metal blank. such as is shown in Fig. 6.

ln fact, not only does the' and through the use of Well-known, apparatus may then'be clasped about and pressed upon the end of the lacing and given suitable formation in one and the same operation to provide 'a resulting ti such as is shown in Fig. 7. The presence of t e metal 'or other tip upon the fabric covered end gives the saine a pleasing appearance in contrast to its usuall dull and somber appearance. To make t e tip ornamental, I may, and preferably do, form the same of some brightly colored metal, such as aluminium, the latter having the advantage also of being cheap`,`ea s ily worked and free fromtendencydaoftarnish.-

If desiredfthe tip may be madeiof lastio or other formation, and in Fig.' 8 F'have shown a plastically formed tip of hard rubber or celluloid Which may be pressed intoshape about the expanded end 'of the lacing end While the material is slightly heated.

The tip, instead of being clasped about the extremity of the lacing end, if desired, may comprise a button-sha ed piece d, as shown in Fig. 9, provided Wit a stem d', the latter preferably having a slightly contracted neck. Where the stiffening blanks are made up in single lengths and thesevered lacin strips separately and independently attacheigi thereto, the stem of the tip d may be rolled into the end of the stiffening member in the same operation that turns the end of a lacin over and about the stiffening member, and t e extremity of the end, by being compressed in and about the said stem, may be made to effectually retain the same in the desired position.

While I have shown and described one form of my invention for the purpose of fully illustrating the same, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details here shown, or to the arrangement of parts, or to the particular mode of constructing the stiflened lacing ends here described,

IOO

but thatextensive modifications may be made therein Within the scope of the appended claims, Without deviating from the spirit of my invention, and that Wide departures, unnecessary Ato refer to, will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim* 1. A lacing having an interior stifle-'ning member, and a separate exteriormetal tip.

2. A lacing having'an interior stiffening member, and a separate exterior non-corrosive tip.

3. A vided with a contracted neck portion near its extremity and having a protecting tip upon the said extremity and retained by said contracted neck portion.

4. A lacing having a stiflened end ta ered for substantially its entire length an provided with an exterior textile facing and a relativel hard tip.

5. A acing` having' an interior stiflening IIO 5 member for its and. and a sepamte emoro tip presenting an. unboken ond surface covermg and proiemzlg the and oi the mp.

`In testimony whereof, l havo signed name to this specoaton, in the presence of two sub sorbing witnesses.

HENRY H. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses z THOMAS B; BOOTH, ANNIE E. OHESLEY. 

